Seal



Agg. 24, 1943. A. s. MAC'KEY -2,327,915

SEAL

Filed Jan. 2, 1942 I NVENTEI ABQ MAEKLY.

BTW 'I AT1-UR @g5 Patented Aug. 24, 1943 SEAL Alexander S. Mackey, ttawa,'0ntari0, Canada ApplicaticnJanuary 2, 1942,Serial No. 425,421 (C1. 2924324 y 4 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to seals `and is particularly designed for use as a poultry band.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified form of seal which will be tamper proof and which may be secured without the use of instruments of any kind.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seal of this character which is readily adaptable as a poultry band and may be easily slipped around the leg of a bird and locked in a simple operation. i

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with a casing and automatic locking apparatus in which the casing and locking apparatus is not bulky and Will not protrude from the circumference of the seal to any great extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will fit snugly around the leg of a bird and avoid inwardly pro-- truding parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is economical .to manufacture and which employs a split ring for `locking purposes wherein the said ring is held in a simple manner against dislodg- Inent until the seal has been locked.

With these and other objects in View the invention .generally comprises a band carrying a casing on one end, housing a tongue receiver including a channel `forming rib and a split ring normally spread apart and held in position between the rib and the band, the housing having an inlet` opening alignedwith the rib-like member, the opposite end of the band forming. a tongue having a rib designed to pass through said opening and telescope into the channel of the rst rib, thelsecondY rib being designed to dislodge the split ring to cause its free ends to pass through the telescoped ribs' as described in detail in the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, g

Fig. 1 is a` perspective view of a locked seal according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is anenlarged fragmentary perspective detail of the ends of the band of the seal showing them in position lready to be brought into engagement with one another.`

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the parts shown in Fig. 2 but with the casing applied to one end of the band. l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken through the engaged ends of the band within the casing of the seal.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the casingl with the ends of the band locked to-r gether showing the split ring functioning as the locking member, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line -Ii'of` a charinelled rib I4 depressed from one side of` theV band and extends longitudinally thereof; The channelled portion I5 of the rib I4 is of a cross sectional area such as to permit the rib I2 of the tongue to slide therewithin so that when the tongue receiver I3 and the `tongue II are disposed in substantially aligned relation with one another as shown in Fig. V2, the rib I2 will telescope in the rib I4.

The rib I4 of the tongue receiver I3 is shorter than the rib I2 of the tongue and is open at both ends so that the rib I2 may slide in the channel I5 and when fully engaged therein willproject beyond the inner end of rib I4. In this connection a portion of the tongue receiver rearwardly of the rib member I4 is recessed at I6 to accommodate the longer rib.

The inner end of the rib I4 is undercut, or in other Words, cut to slope inwardly asat II to `form in effect with the adjacent portion of the tongue receiver a notch I8. This manner of cutting or forming the end of the rib I4 has a particular function. For instance, the rib I4 is designed to be engaged by the free ends I9 of asplit ring 2B, the free ends normally being designed to engage the side walls of the rib I4 under pressure, in advance of an orifice located in each ofthe side walls of this rib and in align-- ment with one another. In this position a portion of the split ring diametrically opposite to the split is positioned in the notch I8 in engage` ment with the flat surface of the tongue receiving portion I3 of the band. Thus, the ring 20 is held firmly in the position shown in Fig. 2` so as to withstand any possibility of accidental dislodgment. j

When the rib I2 of the tongue II is projected into the channel I5 of rib I4 to the full extent the orices-22 are-positioned at a pointvto 'regis-l ter with .the orifices '2l in member :III when the tongue II has been projected into the tongue receiver to its full extent, the split ring will also pass through the rib-like member 22, thus lock-v ing the tongue and tongue receiver together.

The tongue receiver I3 `is designed to be housed within a casing 23 which is permanently secured to the tongue receiving portion of vthe band4 I0 and designed to enclose the tongue re-4 ceiver I3 completely except for an inlet opening 24 (see Fig. 6 particularly) of a cross section to -permitentry of `the rib I2 and the portions of the tongue projecting laterally from it.

The casing 23 is made up of two parts, namely,

ya base 25 and a'body'26 of suitable cross section here shown as circular. The base 25 and body 26 are formed with peripheral flanges 21 and l28 respectively, designed to be clinched together by suitabley dies so that these two parts may be rmly secured together around the tongue receiver such that they cannot be disengaged without showing that the seal has been tampered with.

l'Ihebase 25 is designed to be spaced from the base of the tongue receiver I3 a distance substantially corresponding to the width of the band soy as to permit the lateral portions of the tongue II to passinto-the casing. Correspondingly, the

inlet opening 24 which is formed in the body 26 of vcasing 23 is formed with a slot 29-which inter- `sects the main area of the inlet opening 24 designed to permit passage of the ribl2. The rearward part of the body 26,'however, is only provided .with a slot.3 (see Figs. 3 and 4) corresponding to the slot 29 so asfmerely to permit passage of the band I0. Y Y

The width of the slots 29 and 3G is such as to accommodate'a portion of the band I0 narrower than the normal width of the band, it being noted that the tongue II and the tongue receiver I3 are reduced in width compared with the width of the bodyiof the band, the reduction in Width beingdllustrated at 3| so as to form between the main body of the band and these portions a slope; shoulder or the like. Thus, when the base 25 and body :2S of the casing 23 are positioned over-theitongue receiving portion I3 ofthe band and "then clinched firmly together the casing 24 is -rmly held cn the tongue receiving portion against-axial movement, and particularly along theband since the slopel prevents anypossibility of rmovement towards the body of theLband which might cause dislodgment of the ring from itssetf'position. l\'/Ioreovf;^r, if any axialplay in the,` direction of thelend of the tongue receiver were to develop, this would be prevented on lockingof .the band by engagement ofthe sloped edgesof the tongue with the edges of the accessible opening.

This type of construction permits the use of pa relatively small flat casingandby reason of ther fact that the flat baseportion 25 of the casing is positioned on the inside of the band the re.is

practically no inwardly projecting parts which might otherwise render the seal rather impractical for use as a poultry band. Similarly since the construction is such as to provide for a relatively low flat casing there is little outward projection on the seal which might otherwise make the construction objectionable for use as a poultry Y band.

When the tongue II and tongue receiver I3 areengaged andlocked together-withinthe casing.f23 they are permanently secured .together and cannot be dislodged for the reason of the -fact that the steel ring will withstand breakage and cannot be tampered with without completely 4mutilating the casing since the inlet opening 24 which includes the slot 29 is substantially com'- possibility of instruments being introduced to the casingto break the seal.

It will beV noted that the tongue receiverand the tongue including Itheir rib-like formations are -slightly curved asy shownin Fig.l 3 sothat when the seal `is locked the .band-forms la complete ring which will neatly encircle the leg of a. bird where the device'is-employedas a poultry.

band. Y

VWhat I claim as myinvention is: Y

l. A seal forming an endless ring when locked comprising a band having .a locking tongue at oneend and a tongue receiver at the opposite end designed to AbeV positioned in opposed Yrelatio'nqto `one another for slidable engagement to form, when-engageda continuous ring-like seal,

said 'locking tongue and tongue receiver being,

formed with channelled ribs telescopically engageable, said rib on the tongue receiver `being i gagement of said ribs, the latter having orices end of the tongue receiven v 2. A seal as claimed in claim l; in which the casing is vformed in-two parts, onefa relatively shallow base portion underlying the tongue receiver and ritsrib, the, other' 4a bodyportion greater in depth than` the base and ttingf'over the rib of the tonguefreceiver and the latter, said body'portion beingslotted diametricallyopposite tothe accessible opening-suiiiciently to allow pas-rh sage of the band, said vparts being peripherally" flanged, said anges being clinched together tofr form a unitary casing,fsaid tongue receiver having means engaging thec'asingpreve'ntingmovement thereof axiallyoi the band.

3. Aiseal as claimedin claim,l, 1in which the casing and rib-likemembers are-curved.

'4. A seal-as claimed in claim l,l in -vvhich theA tongue receiver is slotted-'beyond the'inner endl of its-rib -to vreceive the leading end of the rib 

